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Tuesday, 16 May 2017

New Cosplay Patterns!

I think it's been awhile since we've seen a batch of three patterns released at once and I'm always excited for that because the more the merrier! Today I'm look at three new women's costume patterns from Cosplay by McCall's, Eventide, Red Reign and Cloak: Phantasy. Let's look 'em over!

In this pattern we're presented with one long and one waist cut shawl collared jacket. They're essentially the same jacket just modified for the shorter look in version 2 (right), which also features bell sleeves. I think it's painfully obvious that version 1 is the far more successful design. I dislike the shawl collar...it's reminiscent of some weird 80's high fashion that maybe Prince would've worn, but I guess it'd be cool if you're channeling your inner Ruby Rhod. The fit is off and I think it's exacerbated by the satin bell sleeves in version 2, while it looks more natural in version 1 probably because the material has more structure. You can see in version 2 there are diagonal wrinkles extending across the torso from the underarm area toward the apex of the bust, this is a fit issue, it means there is an excessive amount of material in this region and it would have to be pinned out. Switching between versions 1 and 2 there really is no apparent difference in the construction in this area, it seems that the material is working against it in version 2. In version 1, it's possible that the length of the garment is ironing those wrinkles out by weighing it downward, I also think the tabs on the waist help disguise these fit issues. Overall, I'm tempted to try version 1 but if I do, I'll be redesigning the collar and investigating fit issues in the bust and armscye.

So the more that I'm exposed to her work, the more I realize that I don't like it. Ichigo Black and I do not meet minds aesthetically. Her first releases with the brand (Belle Noir and Belle Rogue) were promising but now I feel like she's regurgitating the same design elements only they're coming out far worse than before. The corset is the only successful piece in this pattern. The overskirt is fine if combined with a normal skirt. We all know that I loathe the exposed hoop skirt trend, I get that it's popular but I can't see how...It's not high fashion to me, it just looks like she's wearing scaffolding. As strange as it is to admit it's not the worst element in this pattern, the bolero is. The asymmetry on this piece is not successful. The eye has difficulty following the flow from right to left. The left shoulder appears deflated, and the sleeve is costumey and not in the cool way but the "I got it at Walmart on clearance" kind of way. The collar sits a tad high and the bolero itself lacks structure, but the worst offender is that back appliqué. I had to look at the diagram to understand just what is going on here.

Firstly, there are no back darts. This piece is in desperate need of shaping and back darts would eliminate that boxy effect you're seeing in the photo on the right. It's corseted but it's not functional. I normally don't find this problematic but I'm befuddled by the fact that they chose to place a lace insert underneath the faux corset closure, it confuses the eye and takes away from the detail of the corset back, which begs the question why have it there at all? Why not place the red fabric underneath it or leave it nude to add contrast? I don't get it. And to add to that, the ensemble has a corset underneath it, so why have a corset on top of a corset? And let's get to the most excruciating part, the bat appliqué. I only saw the front of this costume when I received the promo photos and I had that meh feeling about it, but to see the back...just, wow. It's pretty hideous. It doesn't flow with the contours of the shoulders and it looks super home made. It's like if you were eleven years old and wanted to be goth but couldn't figure out where to start so you glued some half-assedly cut out bat wings on to the back of your hoodie. Don't shake your head, you've been there.

Cloak: PhantasyCapesM2092It's not printed on the envelope but according to the website this is is another Ichigo Black design, thankfully it's not as atrocious as that last piece but this one lacks oomph. I'm not sure if this designer is getting burnt out or what. Her designs have always lacked adequate construction and often times the details are sloppy or confusing. It's really hit or miss. :/ In this pattern there are two capes, one asymmetrical long cape and one shorter cape with a keyhole style draped back. The shorter version, version 1, looks decent on the front with a high collar that has hook and eye closures. The back has a rhinestone detail and embroidered appliqué but it's a little underwhelming and looks slapped on there. The drape on the lower portion of the cape is alright but there's something weird about the way it sits in the capelet. I don't know if it's been tucked, picked up or ruched, the diagram implies ruching. Perhaps this wasn't the most successful technique to employ for this design. The asymmetrical cape is cut well, I can't get a good look at the collar, it's difficult to tell if it's set correctly. The epaulet with the chains could look good with some tweaking. I dislike the bib. It's weird. Not a top, a bib, like half of an apron. I think it attaches to the cape itself? It would've been best to leave it out altogether because it's doing nothing for this pattern. It's also disappointing to see that the designer has yet again resorted to using a faux corset closure. Surely she's had enough of these things? Looking at historical clothing catalogs, I can see that exposed corsets weren't as commonplace as some people assume, it was mostly in their lingerie, instead their clothing had buttons. Whatever happened to buttons? You can do some cool shit with buttons.

Conclusion

I like the jacket pattern well enough and the cape pattern has its place, clearly I hate Red Reign and I'm not about to recommend it to my friends. It's always interesting to see what the new batch of patterns will be, like a Kinder Surprise Egg, sometimes you get the cool toy and sometimes you get that thing that looks weird and you have no idea what the hell it's used for so you give it to your sibling. What will the future hold? I'm always excited to find out.
What are your thoughts?

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